Into the Poke Ball
by DK1
Summary: A renegade Scyther refuses to go in its Poke Ball. What will its trainer do?


In response to Atma's challenge 'bout bein' in a Pokèball.  
  
"Scyther, return!"  
  
How times do I gotta hear those words? "Scyther scy!" {I'm tired of bein' in a Pokèball all the time!}  
  
"WHAT?!?" Dave growled, a hint of anger in his voice.  
  
"Scy! Scy!" {You heard me!}  
  
The other trainer only smirked, realizing what was happening although only Dave understood my words.   
"I can see your Scyther is not properly disciplined. Very rebellious, indeed." His Raticate, torn to ribbons   
by my blades, lay in a collapsed heap next to him, so Dave didn't think too highly of his comment. He   
whirled on me in fury.  
  
"Whaddaya think you're doing? Don't you know how to obey your trainer? Get in!" Aiming the Pokèball   
with absolute precision, Dave fired the red beam. It was fast.  
  
But I was faster.  
  
"Scyther!" {No way!}  
  
I dodged quickly, grinning at the expression on Dave's face. As much as I liked the guy, him bein' a pretty   
cool human, this was hilarious.  
  
"What the hell are you doing? Scyther RETURN!"  
  
More red beams.  
  
Much too slow.  
  
I laughed him to scorn. "Scy? Scyther scy?" {What? That the best you can do?}  
  
He scoffed. "Maybe you'd like to battle some o' your old friends!" As he drew out his Pokèballs, he turned   
to the other trainer. "Hey, you! Old geezer! Scyther kicked your Raticate's ass, so get lost!" As the elderly   
man ran off, Dave sent out his Pokèmon. "Dragonite, Hitmonlee, Cloyster, Jolteon, Golem, rip Scyther   
apart!"  
  
I sharpened my blades, eyeing them each as they popped out of their Pokèballs. "Scy. Scyther." {Bring it   
on.} I readied myself, watching as my comrades stared at me, then Dave, then back to me. Dragonite's   
look said, "What have you done?" while Hitmonlee just shook his head sadly. Jolteon, the joker of the   
group, just rolled his eyes, but he knew he had to obey orders. Golem, my mortal enemy, smirked,   
knowing he had the clear advantage in this five-on-one battle. And Cloyster, the cool guy, powered up an   
Ice Beam and winked. As long as I was in a solid block of ice, I wouldn't be torn to pieces by Golem or   
used as a kicking bag by Hitmonlee.  
  
I scowled at Golem and slashed the air, giving Cloyster an obvious sign: I wanna fight. Scratch the Ice   
Beam idea. He only shrugged, then ceased powering the Ice Beam.  
  
"Okay, guys! I know this might sound a little strange, but Scyther's been actin' up. We gotta teach him a   
lesson on how to respect his trainer, then we'll go to the Pokècenter after that little skirmish with the old   
guy."  
  
"Go-lem." {No problem.}  
  
"Woaaa-aaa!" {Very well,} (AN: Dragonite, of course. If you've seen the Bill episode, you might understand-  
it's pretty hard getting Dragonite's call into words!)  
  
"Hit-mon." {A lesson, but nuthin' more.}  
  
"Cloyster cloy." {Whatever.}  
  
"Jol-TE-on!" {Alright guys, let's kick his tail!}  
  
I didn't reply, but used a Double Team attack immediately, creating 4 other copies of me-one for each   
Pokèmon. It probably wouldn't be enough, but I'd be able to hold out for a while. Golem was way too   
slow, so no problem for him. Cloyster's heart wouldn't really be in it, so I didn't hafta worry about him,   
either. Now, Hitmonlee would be a problem. I'd fight him myself in my real form, and also be extra   
careful when fighting him-because I'd be using so much energy to support the other copies of myself, one   
powerful, well-placed kick would send me sprawling. Jolteon would probably miss on purpose, so no   
problem there, either. And Dragonite, well...I'd deal with him in battle.  
  
"Alright, get him!"  
  
"Scyther scy!!!" I yelled, flinging all five of me into battle. The rest of the guys charged forward-well, if   
you call Dragonite flying and Golem digging charging.  
  
I immediately charged at Hitmonlee, letting the other Scythers do their stuff (Author's Note: If you're   
wondering how Scyther can do this, let's just say it took him a very, very, VERY long time to learn it!). I   
knew in the back of my mind that 4 different parts of my brain were now functioning independently, so I'd   
really hafta concentrate to defeat Hitmonlee.  
  
~~~HITMONLEE~~~  
  
Dodging a Rolling Kick, I used an amazingly swift Agility, giving Hitmonlee a harder target to hit. His   
sharp eyes followed me, but I was a green blur, one o' the most fastest Pokèmon alive. I converged on him   
quickly, using a Focus Energy just as he launched a Mega Kick. I couldn't dodge it, fast as I was, so I   
blocked the blow with my blades as best as I could.  
  
WHUMPF!!!  
  
I was thrown backward, but didn't take too much damage. Damn! (AN: I'm pretty sure Pokèmon can cuss   
and/or have curse words in their own language.) This oughta be harder than I thought...  
  
~~~GOLEM~~~  
  
I immediately felt as if I wasn't given as much energy as the other dudes, but then I figured out why: I was   
fighting a Golem. Whipping out an cold, icy glass of lemonade and a pair of sunglasses, I proceeded to   
yawn and relax, flying out of the way of a harmless Tackle attack or a few annoying boulders every now   
and then.  
  
~~~JOLTEON~~~  
  
I knew what I had to do.  
  
So did Jolteon. He nodded, then cried out, "Action!" He immediately took off towards me, using his   
lightning-fast speed to gain distance quickly. I nimbly dodged the series of Thundershocks he sent out at   
me, then, using a Quick Attack, knocked him backwards to eat dust. Although I'd made the Quick Attack   
really weak on purpose, he made it look to Dave that it was pretty fierce. He lay sprawled on the forest   
ground, moaning in absolute fake pain. I appeared to be laughing at him from a distance. He (man, is   
Jolteon a kickass actor!) struggled to his feet, and that's when the scene reached its climax-I rushed forward   
in a flurry of wings and slashed him (actually, the air millimeters from his face). He let out a cry of agony,   
then fell facefirst to the ground. I winked, then disappeared.  
  
~~~DRAGONITE~~~  
  
Dragonite began by shaking his head in a sorrowful manner. "I do not know what happened between you   
and the master, but whatever it was, you shall regret it."  
  
A very large and intimidating Hyper Beam began to build.  
  
I chuckled.  
  
"Poor, poor Dragonite," I said, teasing him. "He obviously doesn't know who and what he's up against."  
  
"Is that a challenge?" he growled, continuing to power the Hyper Beam.  
  
In reply, I, very slowly and deliberately, drew my blades apart, until they were sticking out from both sides   
of my body. Then, I brought them together with a loud ---  
  
CLASH!  
  
Dragonite's wings began to beat the air in a steady rhythm as his eyes narrowed into slits. "I take that as a   
yes." So saying, he rose gracefully into the air, the Hyper Beam growing larger by the second.  
  
Wings flitting in speedy blurs, I rose up, rays of sunlight glinting off my sharp, cutting blades.  
  
Clouds of dust began to billow underneath Dragonite's body, the forceful winds from his flapping wings   
blowing away various underbrush, branches and twigs, and even an unfortunate Weedle.  
  
"Haha, Dragonite, still your stubborn ol' self. I've known you too long to lose to you."  
  
"My dear friend Scyther, the time has come for us to prove who is the stronger in battle. I, too, have   
accompanied you for quite a while, so we both know each other's varying strengths and weaknesses."  
  
I circled him in tight circles, watching the Hyper Beam enlarge before my eyes. "I'm not gonna say I can   
beat you, but I'll tell you it's gonna be one helluva battle."  
  
Dragonite nodded, a very wise and intelligent Pokèmon in many aspects. "Yes. But only one of us will   
emerge victorious. There will be a winner." With those words, he launched the Hyper Beam.  
  
Expecting this, I'd backed off a coupla feet. I eyed the gargantuan ball of energy; I assumed it was hurtling   
toward me at around 60 mph. Not Dragonite's fastest, but its great power slowed it down considerably. If   
it hit me, I'd very probably be driven backward a few miles, gaining speed as I flew through the air, then be   
slammed into the ground, becoming unconscious as I would dig deeply into the ground. A crater would   
very likely mark where I'd landed.  
  
Calculating this very quickly as I watched the Hyper Beam grow larger and larger, I executed five Swords   
Dances consecutively as it approached. It was now directly in front of me. I concentrated on a Focus   
Energy, rushed forward, and slashed with all the strength I'd ever muster.  
  
SLASH!  
  
Hot energy burned my blade as it passed...straight through! For an instant, it felt as the heat and power of   
the Hyper Beam had consumed me...  
  
Then, very suddenly, it dissipated. My eyes cleared as I saw Dragonite looming overhead, prepared to use   
a Sky Attack. I grinned to myself. He'd expected me to dodge it, and then he'd hit me with Sky Attack.   
Heh heh heh, I chuckled to myself. Sorry, Dragonite. But you're underestimating my power.  
  
"Haha!" I laughed aloud as Dragonite looked on in amazement. "Obviously you've underestimated me,   
eh? Alright, let's see what else you can throw at me, you floating Snorlax!"  
  
"And can a Snorlax fly at speeds exceeding 100 mph?" he countered as he dove at me, sending shocks of   
Thunder Wave in my direction.  
  
I sneered. Just like a video game-I simply had to dodge the Thunder Waves to win.  
  
But this video game was much, much, too slow.  
  
Using an Agility, I dodged the Thunder Waves easily, appearing before Dragonite's face faster than he'd   
expected. But he had a surprise waiting for me; a whirlwind of water knocked me off-balance.  
  
"Cool strategy," I complimented as I regained my balance. "First a series of Thunder Waves, followed   
quickly by a Dragon Rage. Yeah, I've gotta admit it's good...too bad it didn't work."  
  
A Hyper Beam was dodged as I taunted, "Oh ho! Tryin' to get me back, eh?" I focused my energy as I   
launched an extremely powerful Quick Attack, but Dragonite, using his wing as a shield, managed to block   
it. His wing was tattered and bruised, though.  
  
He countered quickly with a Leer, but I shook it off. But in those few seconds I took to recover from the   
Leer...  
  
Utilizing his own Agility, he attacked fiercely with a Slam, ramming into me with his entire bulk.  
  
Pain seared up my left side as I spiraled and cartwheeled down towards the ground, like a damaged plane   
going down. As I recovered from the shock, a Wing Attack from his good wing knocked me even further.   
My wings shot out immediately and reflexively to maintain balance, and shot out from harm's way as a   
Hyper Beam narrowly missed me, hitting the ground with a giant explosion and creating a small crater.  
  
We both spun in mid-flight to face each other once again.  
  
Me, I was steamin' mad, so I figured I would finish him with just my blades, just tear into him and finish   
this useless battle of freedom from a Pokèball. My blades went up instantly, but my left arm flopped   
lifelessly to my side.  
  
Dragonite smirked as he readied another Hyper Beam, this one larger than the previous. I looked back over   
my shoulder for a way to escape, but it was a dead end, just one of the enormous sides of a mountain. I   
checked left and right. Forest. I was trapped. He smirked again; he knew I was dead. Finished. Kaput.  
  
So that was it! His Slam had paralyzed my left arm! Obviously the other Scythers were using too much of   
my energy---man, was I in deep !@#$ now! But I wouldn't lose, not just yet, anyway. Little did Dragonite   
know I hadn't unleashed all my power in the battle. Raising my right arm, I cut the air, separating air   
particles so quickly it made a  
  
WHOOSH!  
  
sound. Dragonite cackled at my poor condition, but humans say a cat is most dangerous when cornered,   
right? A red, almost evil glow seeped into my retinas as I felt my entire body catch on fire.  
  
It was then that I knew I'd finish Dragonite.  
  
~~~CLOYSTER~~~  
  
"I always knew you were the troublemaker on this team," Cloyster drawled as we faced each other, neither   
of us too serious 'bout this fight.  
  
"You're right, man," I answered, "but I'm also pretty much the team itself. The heart, spirit, courage,   
strength, enthusiasm. Humor probably goes to Jolteon. And as for love, well, I'd hafta credit the rest o'   
y'all for that, I like the human okay but I don't think the feeling's love."  
  
"Hmmm..." Cloyster said, deep in thought. "Y'know, y'know what? It just hit me, maybe it didn't come   
to you, but…that 'human' has an actual name. Did you know that? Hmmm?"  
  
Did I also mention that Cloyster can be overly sarcastic?  
  
"Now, lemme see..." he continued as I pretended to take a nap. "What was it...musta slipped my   
mind...Dan? No...Dirk, Derek, Devon...aha! It was Dave! Hahaha! Yeah! His name was Dave!" A little   
practical joke or a bit of sarcasm was alright, but this time he'd gone too far; the guy was rubbin' it in my   
face for cryin' out loud. I spoke very quietly, but with a dangerous edge.  
  
"Listen, Cloy boy, I recognize 'n respect you as a powerful and very cool Pokèmon, but I don't need this.   
I'm tired of bein' in a Pokèball, you understand? I'm in a lousy SAFARI BALL! Hell, he wouldn't give me   
a regular Pokèball if I asked politely!" I ended the conversation pretty abruptly.  
  
He tried to say something, but I cut him short with a wave of my saber-sharp blade. "If you wanna fight   
me, go ahead! We'll see who'll be sarcastic after his shell gets a slash-tattoo!"  
  
He shook his head. "Chill, chill. I don't wanna fight you. Instead, I'll just lose and purpose. 'Kay? 'Cuz   
it's just not my style to treat a fellow Pokèmon like that, even if I 'love' Dave just liked you said I did." He   
winked, then waited for me to make my first move.  
  
I cooled down, realizing how stupid I'd acted. But hey, that's what the other Pokèmon recognized me for:   
my extremely short temper.  
  
He fired an Aurora Beam. I nimbly got out of the way.  
  
Volleys of Spike Cannon on a low power setting. No sweat.  
  
He pretends to get tired. A free open shot.  
  
I dash forward, yell out a battle cry as I use a Swords Dance, and then a Slash. He falls, dazed and stunned.  
  
I'm NEVER one to apologize, but I can be grateful at times. "Thanks," I whispered as I disappeared.  
  
---Part 2---  
  
~~~HITMONLEE~~~  
  
(Hitmonlee's POV)  
  
Sharp and alert, I followed the green blur as it circled me, taunting me, begging for a single dire hit from   
my powerful feet.  
  
But I knew without perfect timing, my attack would miss. So quick was he my eyes had trouble keeping up   
with the tireless figure which darted in and out, poking with a blade every now and then.  
  
A quick movement to my left.  
  
My leg snapped forward instinctively in a defensive kick.  
  
SLASH!  
  
I had been clumsy-I should have dodged the attack instead. Pain rushed up my left leg as he stopped   
directly in front of me to laugh at my foolish mistake.  
  
Rage built inside me as he continued to scoff. I ran forward, hoping he would panic and rush off to the side   
where my leg would meet him. But instead, he stood glued to the spot where he was, intently watching my   
every move.  
  
I let loose my deadliest attack, Mega Kick. My running start helped as if I scored a blow, he would be   
knocked unconscious for sure. No Pokèmon I have met has been able to withstand my Mega Kick attack.  
  
My thoughts drifted. Why would Dave turn on his own Pokèmon in such a way? It surprised me very   
much, but I knew Scyther was a troublemaker.  
  
His laughter subsided instantly, his eyes focused on my flying figure. He was moments from his loss-if he   
didn't make a decision quickly-and it seemed to me that for the last 30 seconds before my right foot would   
plunge into his face, he was thinking. Milliseconds before I would smash his face in, he made a decision.  
  
He acted quickly.  
  
SLASH!  
  
Immediately I was on the ground, three deep cuts adorning my body. As I writhed in pain, I tried to think.   
Of course! During the time he wasn't thinking, he was using Agility to dodge my attack and a few Swords   
Dances to finish me like this!  
  
My last thought before drifting into unconsciousness was maybe Scyther was fighting for a good cause...  
  
~~~DRAGONITE~~~  
  
(Dragonite's POV)  
  
I watched Scyther, smiling in triumph as his eyes darted left and right, searching desperately for an exit, an   
escape from his approaching doom. I smirked as his eyes returned to mine, a certain fury in them. I   
watched as he tried to raise his left arm with little success. The arm rose into the air a few inches, then   
returned limply to his side. I saw his eyes wander, deep in thought. I chortled to myself. Obviously he   
was trying to recall how I had paralyzed his left arm. "As you can see, Scyther, after a long and fearsome   
battle, one must declare himself the victor. I still respect you as a comrade and excellent fighter, but now   
the both of us shall know the truth of who is the better. And perhaps when you recover from this Hyper   
Beam, you will think twice before disagreeing-or shall we say rebelling-against Dave."  
  
I laughed at his hopeless situation, his left arm dangling lifelessly as I began to channel all the energy left in   
my body to this Hyper Beam. For once in his life, he knew defeat when he stared at it straight in the face.   
He lowered his head as I looked on in amazement. Scyther, admitting defeat?!? Such a rare thing is most   
certainly a must-see in life. But when his face looked up again, there was a strange intensity in his eyes-not   
only his eyes, but his entire body-which caused a flash of fear within me.  
  
I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. Not a Leer attack...what was it? I wondered as the Hyper Beam   
became larger than my entire body.  
  
Scyther began to glow very brightly, almost to the point where it was too bright for my eyes to see   
properly.  
  
I fired the planet-sized Hyper Beam, which had grown so large it began to disturb the Earth itself due to the   
extreme amounts of volatile energy which lurked within. I created this Hyper Beam in such a way that   
should his blade merely pierce it, 20,000 volts of electricity would shock him out of his senses. A sort of   
Thunder Beam-a combination of a Thunder attack and Hyper Beam.  
  
Scyther's expressionless face showed no fear whatsoever, and he dashed forward faster than the eye could   
see-STRAIGHT TOWARDS THE HYPER BEAM.  
  
Perhaps he had gone insane?!? The combined power of the Thunder/Hyper Beam and the velocity of his   
dash would end in serious injury, loss of limbs, or perhaps even death!; he was going quite fast, faster than   
usual.  
  
I saw his body enter the Hyper Beam fearlessly as the two collided, creating an explosion which lit up the   
surrounding scenery and even created a minor forest fire. I shielded my eyes from the blast, becoming   
blinded momentarily...and from nowhere, when I least expected it, a powerful slash to my left shoulder,   
followed instantly by another in my right flank...the series of lightning-fast slashes left me unable to fly,   
and in no condition to remain in battle...  
  
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!  
  
Extreme pain courses through my entire body...  
  
SLASH! SLASH!  
  
The pain is growing unbearable...bits of rock and small pebbles pelt me as I hear the remains of the Hyper   
Beam blast a dent in the mountainside...  
  
SLASH!  
  
I launch a counterattack, a Slam attack, but I only miss and drive my body into the ground. The wonderful   
scent of flowers in spring bloom allures me to unconsciousness as a brief presence of the Sun between two   
clouds flashes across a razor-sharp blade, the blade belonging to the one true victor of this battle...  
  
Scyther.  
  
~~~GOLEM~~~  
  
"Alright, tubbo, it's your turn," I said teasingly to the raging Golem. "The rest are finished."  
  
"WHAT?!?" he exclaimed, his tone of voice a mixture of surprise and worry.  
  
I lazily waved a blade to the unconscious bodies of Hitmonlee and Dragonite, as well as the not-really-  
unconscious bodies of Jolteon and Cloyster. "There you are, buddy," I said boredly, as if beating up   
Hitmonlees and Dragonites was sumthin' I did every day. "Now, stop your delayin', we got a fight to   
settle."  
  
He nodded gravely, and prepared himself for battle.  
  
I felt power building up inside me; I wanted to finish this battle quickly to deal with the human.  
  
He dug into the ground, using a Dig attack.  
  
While he cruised underground, I had enough time to use 7 Swords Dances before he resurfaced. A burst of   
rocks and flying debris obscured my view as he shot up from the ground, yelling.  
  
I knew my strategy that worked with every Golem I had come up against. Golems are extremely powerful,   
and their defenses are matched by few, but their lack of speed is a serious handicap against quick Pokèmon   
like Electrode or Seadra.  
  
Or me. Duh.  
  
I darted in while he was still in mid-air, utilizing the most powerful Wing Attack I'd ever used, it whacked   
him full in the face, his one weak point, and he dropped to the ground like, um...a...rock, too stunned to   
move. He tried moving his jaws but no words came out and he soon blacked out.  
  
Satisfied, I nodded at his still form and disappeared.  
  
---Part 3---  
  
~~~THE HUMAN~~~  
  
(My POV, of course)  
  
I could have skated on the icy glare Scyther gave me...so cold and full of hate I simply HAD to turn away.   
I looked back with pleading eyes. "Scyther...stop." I went on desperately before he could insert a   
comment. "No matter how you feel or how much you hate me, I'm still your trainer whether you like it or   
not. You've gotta accept that."  
  
He clashed his blades together, showering the ground in hot, white sparks. Then, reaching behind his back,   
he mysteriously brought forth his Safari Ball.  
  
I watched in bewilderment, wondering what he would do.  
  
He began rolling the Safari Ball along his blades, toying with it, juggling it, just basically playing with it as   
if it were a toy. I eyed him suspiciously, observing his every move.  
  
Then, with one quick motion, his blade snapped up, popping the ball into the air---  
  
The ball was airborne, enjoying its flight as both Scyther and I watched it go up into the sky. Then gravity   
began its work, pulling it down towards the grass. I glanced at Scyther, and to my surprise he was   
watching the Safari Ball's descent to Earth to what seemed like evil intent…  
  
He raised one deadly blade. As the Safari Ball neared his face, in one fluid motion---  
  
SLASH! The ball was in halves.  
  
SLASH! Fourths.  
  
SLASH! SLASH! Sixteenths.  
  
Losing count, I watched the series of mid-air lightning-quick slashes.  
  
In the end, an estimated total of 65,536 Safari Ball pieces returned to Earth.  
  
I stared at the neat pile of Safari Ball fragments, then raised my head to meet his gaze once again. I tried to   
laugh to ease the tension, but it came out very shakily. "You've made your point," I began as he stood in   
silence. "I know I've treated you badly in the past, and the Safari Ball is total shit quality, but this is no   
way to act." I knew secretly he was still nursing his wounded pride of being captured by a human...he had   
actually attacked me in the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City: a scar from the encounter remained.  
  
He only glowered at me, still keeping his distance.  
  
"Still stubborn as ever," I muttered to myself. "I can't go on like this...if he doesn't want me as a trainer, I   
can't use him as a Pokèmon." The truth hit hard, but I knew it was true. My hand flew to my pocket, and   
my fingers clenched around a round object I had spent much money and effort to purchase...  
  
I hurled the Ultra Ball with all my strength at Scyther, yelling at him furiously, "There! Ya happy? There's   
your stupid Ultra Ball! Your stupid @#$^% Ultra Ball!"  
  
I spun on my heels and dashed off, ignoring the tears which stung my eyes.  
  
~~~SCYTHER~~~  
  
I watched, eyes wide as saucers, as the Ultra Ball came towards me, a blur of blue and white. I expected it   
to hit and "catch" me, similar to a wild Pokèmon, but it didn't. Instead, it hit me with incredible force, and   
a pain...a pain I have never felt before...stirred mixed feelings in my body and mind. It dropped to the   
ground after impact, and rolled against my foot before coming to a halt. I gingerly touched the bruise it had   
left, but it was not the bruise I was concerned about; the hit had bruised my spirit.  
  
As I watched him go, I knew I would not be seeing him again for a long while.  
  
I was insanely happy very suddenly. I'd gotten my best wishes---not only had I gotten rid of that annoying   
human, an Ultra Ball was mine at last! I entered immediately, gazing out at the wonder around me.  
  
The floor of the Ultra Ball was lined with thick, velvety, cushion-like, elegant carpeting, and a marvelous   
sound system was brilliantly set up so that a total of 12 speakers blared out full-quality surround sound. An   
immense wide-screen TV and entertainment system was set up in the far corner of the Ultra Ball, comfy   
couch included. To my left, an awesome dining table, four size-accommodating chairs, cabinets filled with   
silverware, dishware, tupperware, etc., a vast collection of various Pokèmon foods in storage and   
refrigerator, and even a large, king-sized bed.  
  
I grinned. It was all mine now.  
  
But my grin faltered. Somehow, the whole thing felt completely wrong and my pleasure was partly ruined   
by the fact that I had been abandoned by my trainer---actually, it was more like the other way around, me   
ditching him.  
  
I sauntered over to the couch, diving in on the soft, comfortable cushions and slapping the remote control   
with the flat of my blade. The TV and sound system came to life, and I leaned back and relaxed as I   
brought up the Scyther channel on the screen. (Author's Note: There are 150 channels total in an Ultra   
Ball; one for every specific Pokèmon.)  
  
"Scy! Scyther, scy scy! {And now, ladies and Scythermen, Round 3 shall begin!}" the announcer said   
excitedly as Round 3 of the Slash Tournament was under way. I smiled to myself. The Slash Tournament   
was world famous; many Pokèmon from all over the world came to compete against one other for the title   
of Slash Master. I had been the Slash Master once, but my victory was short-lived: A Sandshrew who's   
trainer's name was AJ or EJ or something similar had defeated me in the longest fight the Pokèmon world   
has ever known. The record still stands, which is no less than a fierce battle 38 hours, 24 minutes, and 53   
seconds long.  
  
In fact, the Slash Tournament was the main source of a majority of my battle scars as well as some of my   
pride: The title of Slash Master is an extremely difficult goal, almost impossible. But I'd done it, no sweat.  
  
Hmmm, I thought, interested as I saw a ferocious fighter move up the ranks. I squinted to identify the   
Pokèmon---to my utter surprise, it was a Farfetch'd!!!  
  
I laughed aloud.  
  
"HAHAHAHAHAH!" I roared. "How pitiful has the Slash Tournament become, it lets a FARFETCH'D   
rise up, victory after victory, a FARFETCH'D for cryin' out loud!" I chortled some more, realizing how   
wimpy things were becoming without the usual fierce warriors there used to be in the Pokèmon world. I   
rolled my eyes as the Farfetch'd was easily defeated by Sandshrew, who'd become a lot more tougher since   
I'd last battled him. I sharpened my blades, eyeing him. Someday I'd whip his butt, sure.  
  
I suddenly felt overly sorrowful. I smiled sadly. Great. Guilt.  
  
I couldn't stand feeling guilty, me bein' myself, but it actually seemed a little lonely without Jolteon and   
the others here with me, or even the human to play tricks on.  
  
I sighed. Maybe after a good night's sleep, all this stupid guiltiness would leave me and I'd live here in   
peace and luxury. Besides, my wounds from the previous battles stung like hell and I was so tired I could   
hardly move. Dragging myself to the warm, cozy bed, I slipped under the covers in my usual Scyther-like   
grace (RIP! SLASH!) and settled further into the blankets.  
  
Nestling my face into the soft pillow, I let out a peaceful breath as I drifted into Slumberland. 


End file.
